Page 1 of The Devil's Dream

Prologue

Nova

The bell above the door jingled as the flower shop’s door swung closed behind me. We’d been having a girls’ day, making bouquets for an upcoming wedding and generally catching up. After the hell that went down, we’d grown closer.

“Nova, come look at this one.” Rae waved me over, grinning wide at the newly opened blossom. “Ain't she a beauty?”

“It’s gorgeous, Rae.”

“Thanks.” Her gaze slid over to the playpen where Payton sat, tiny fists waving in the air. “She’s been watching us like a hawk. She probably thinks we're a bunch of loons.” Rae chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear as she moved toward the pen, her eyes softening. “Hey there, sugar. You holding down the fort?”

My lips tipped up watching Rae coo at a giggling Payton. Blood or not, Rae was such an amazing mother to the little girl.

Sophia glanced at the wall clock, her brows knitting together. “Wow, the afternoon has flown by. You ladies care if we pick this back up tomorrow?”

Rae straightened up from where she’d been tickling Payton's belly, wiping her hands on her jeans. Her eyes shot to the clock, taking in the time. “Count me in. I need to get Payton fed and figure out what we’re doing for dinner.”

“Can't lie, I'm hungry too. All this eating for two.” Sophia smiled softly, rubbing at her stomach.

“You ladies head on out, and I’ll get everything put away.” I smiled.

“You sure?” Sophia asked.

“I’m positive. You both have babies to feed. One day, you’ll have to do the same for me.” I laughed.

“Uh huh.” Rae smirked. “I’ve seen the way Haze and Kane have been watching you.”

My eyes shot open wide. “What?” I shook my head. She was wrong. Kane wasn’t interested in me. I’d never even had a conversation with the club’s treasurer. And sure, I’d caught Haze watching me several times when I would sneak glances at him, but he’d never spoken to me either.

“Girl, you’ve got yourself a set of admirers.”

My cheeks heated as I waved her off.

“You’re embarrassing her,” Sophia chided softly.

“What? Oh no, I’m not teasing you, Nova. I thought you knew. I’m sorry, sweetie. I’ll leave it alone.”

Sophia and Rae wrapped their arms around me for a quick hug, before filing out the door. Everyone was paired off and happy. It was unreasonable to expect that I would find that too, just because they had.

As I cleaned up the mess we’d made, I thought about what Rae had said. Admirers—as in two. My mind then shifted to Kane and what I knew about him. He was the club’s treasurer and, from what I’d heard, the club’s number one cage fighter.

“Kane’s not interested in me,” I whispered under my breath, more confused than ever, when suddenly I snapped to attention, hearing a commotion coming from out back.

What was that?

Following the noise, I quietly crept to the back of the shop and looked through the peephole. I couldn’t see a thing but could hear the sounds of fists connecting with flesh and the grunts that followed.

What was happening out there?

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” I chanted, stepping back as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

My hands started to shake as a million thoughts of the men I’d escaped came rushing to the forefront. If they’d found me, I was as good as dead.

Shit, shit, shit! I needed to calm down. Banner took care of Ivan and his men. Even though I knew this fact to be true, I still had an irrational fear that somehow, they’d magically be resurrected and find me. Like I said. Irrational.

Edging back to the door, I peeked through the hole again and ice shot through my veins at what I saw.

“No!” My voice cracked as I fumbled with the locks with shaky hands, then yanked the door open. “Haze!” I yelled, dropping down onto my knees beside him, my hands hovering useless over his broken form. He was covered in blood with black-and-blue bruises marring every inch of exposed skin. There were angry red marks circled around his wrists, chafed and raw. He was almost unrecognizable.

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